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Blinded By The Light
Blinded By the Light was Bruce Springsteen's first single. It was released on his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.. A live version with alternate lyrics was featured on the Live in Dublin album. Although Bruce's version was not a hit and did not chart, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a cover of it in 1976 that charted at #1. It was one of three Bruce songs to be covered by Manfred Mann, the other two being "Spirit in the Night" and "For You". Lyrics Meaning and Background Bruce wrote the song when the president of Columbia Records, Cline Davis, listened to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and thought the album lacked a single. Springsteen wrote "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night" in response. Bruce used a rhyming dictionary to search for lyrics that would work. In the first line of the song, "Madman drummers" is a reference to original E Street Band member Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez. "Indians in the Summer" refers to Bruce's Little League team growing up, and the "teenage diplomat" is Bruce himself. Bruce also considers "Blinded by the Light" to be a coming of age song. "Deuce" refers to a "little deuce coup, as in a two-seater hot rod", according to Bruce. "Hummin' a lunar tune" could also possibly be a reference to Van Morrison's Moondance. Lyrics Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat With a boulder on my shoulder feelin' kinda older I tripped the merry-go-round With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing the calliope crashed to the ground Some all-hot half-shot was headin' for the hot spot snappin' his fingers clappin' his hands And some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot with a whatnot in her hand And now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand And some bloodshot forget-me-not whispers daddy's within earshot save the buckshot turn up the band And she was blinded by the light Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night Blinded by the light She got down but she never got tight, but she'll make it alright Some brimstone baritone anti-cyclone rolling stone preacher from the east He says: "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in its funny bone, that's where they expect it least" And some new-mown chaperone was standin' in the corner all alone watchin' the young girls dance And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin' with his frozen zone to remind him of the feeling of romance Yeah he was blinded by the light Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night Blinded by the light He got down but she never got tight, but he's gonna make it tonight Some silicone sister with her manager's mister told me I got what it takes She said I'll turn you on sonny, to something strong if you play that song with the funky break, And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart to see if it was safe to go outside And little Early-Pearly came in by her curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride, Oh, some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer playin' backyard bombardier Yes and Scotland Yard was trying hard, they sent a dude with a calling card, he said, do what you like, but don't do it here Well I jumped up, turnedaround, spit in the air, fell on the ground Asked him which was the way back home He said take a right at the light, keep goin' straight until night, and then boy, you're on your own And now in Zanzibar a shootin' star was ridin' in a side car hummin' a lunar tune Yes, and the avatar said blow the bar but first remove the cookie jar we're gonna teach those boys to laugh too soon And some kidnapped handicap was complainin' that he caught the clap from some mousetrap he bought last night, Well I unsnapped his skull cap and between his ears I saw a gap but figured he'd be all right He was just blinded by the light Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night Blinded by the light Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun Oh but mama that's where the fun is Live in Dublin Lyrics One, two! Well, madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat With a boulder on my shoulder, feeling kinda older I tripped the merry-go-round With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing the calliope crashed to the ground Some all-hot half-shot was heading for the hot spot snapping his fingers clapping his hands And some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot with a whatnot in her hand Now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand And some bloodshot forget-me-not whispers, "Daddy's within earshot, save the buckshot, turn up the band" We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light Some brimstone baritone anti-cyclone rolling stone preacher from the east BSaid, "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in its funny bone, that's where they expect it least" Some new-mown chaperone was standing in the corner all alone watching the young girls dance Some fresh-sown moonstone was messing with his frozen zone to remind him of the feeling of romance We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light Yeah! Some silicone sister with her manager's mister told me I got what it takes Said, "I'll turn you on sonny, to something strong if you play that song with the funky break" Go-cart Mozart checking out the weather chart to see if it was safe to go outside Little Early-Pearly came by in her curly-wurly, asked me if I needed a ride Some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer playing backyard bombardier And Scotland Yard was trying hard, sent some dude with a calling card, said, "Do what you like, don't do it here" Well, I jumped up, turned around, spit in the air, fell on the ground, asked him which was the way back home Said, "Take a right at the light, keep going straight until night, then you're on your own" Zanzibar, shooting star, riding in a side car, humming a lunar tune The avatar said, "Blow the bar but first remove the cookie jar she's gonna teach those boys to laugh too soon" Some kidnapped handicap was complaining that he caught the clap from some mousetrap he bought last night I unsnapped his skull cap, between his ears I saw a gap, figured he'd be all right We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light We were blinded (blinded) blinded (blinded) blinded baby by the light Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun Oh but mama that's where the fun is One, two, one, two, three! Whoa! (Blinded, blinded, blinded baby by the light Blinded, blinded, blinded baby by the light) Personnel * Bruce Springsteen – guitar, electric bass, keyboards, vocals * Clarence Clemons – saxophone, backing vocals * Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez – drums, backing vocals * Harold Wheeler – piano Category:Songs Category:Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. songs Category:The Essential Bruce Springsteen songs Category:Live in Dublin songs Category:Greatest Hits (2009) songs Category:VH1 Storytellers songs